There’s really no other way to put this: the National Cancer Institute, which operates under the U.S. Department of Health, just confirmed that cannabis kills cancer cells.

In a recent update to the department’s Physician Data Query (PDQ) cancer information summary on cannabis and cannabinoids, the NIC reported that pre-clinical trials have demonstrated that cannabinoids, active components of cannabis, inhibit tumor growth by killing cancer cells, blocking cell growth, and preventing the development of blood vessels that tumors need to grow.

“Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells,” the organization wrote.

Not only has research established that marijuana contains medicinal properties that reduce inflammation of the colon in mice, but the substance has even shown potential for reducing the risk of colon cancer, as well as being effective in the treatment of the disease. Marijuana’s effect on chronic pain and nausea—which many cancer patients experience throughout the treatment process—were additionally referenced in the PDQ.

Further, the department included a note about the findings of another laboratory study that concluded that cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana, killed breast cancer cells “while having little effect on normal breast cells.”

“Studies in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer showed that cannabinoids may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors,” researchers added.

Asked about the recent changes to its executive summary, NIC spokesperson Katherine Jenkins told ATTN: that “the PDQ Editorial Boards conduct regular reviews of newly published peer-reviewed literature to maintain the currency of the PDQ cancer information summaries,” adding that the PDQ on cannabis and cannabinoid was last updated on August 7.

Still, the organization did not fully condone the use of cannabis for cancer treatment; instead, it recommended that further research is needed. “At present, there is insufficient evidence to recommend inhaling cannabis as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms or cancer treatment–related side effects.”

After months of delays, medical marijuana businesses are slowly getting up and running in southern Nevada. Cultivators are ready to turn marijuana into money, and 8 News NOW obtained an exclusive tour of one facility that’s weathered the delays.

In a discrete facility in the shadows of the Strip, a budding mom-and-pop business is beginning to blossom.

“Day eight, day nine, you can see that the root structure is starting to appear,” said Steve Wenger with Las Vegas Herbal Growers.

Las Vegas Herbal Growers is one of the first, and perhaps the smallest, medical marijuana cultivation facilities in southern Nevada.

“It’s the three of us. We have a 3,500 square-foot facility, and the three of us will handle these plants, at least through the first cycle,” Wenger said.

Steve and Beverly Wenger started Las Vegas Herbal Growers soon after state lawmakers opened the door to marijuana businesses in Nevada.

“Two years ago, (SB) 374 came out in July,” Steve said. “By September, we were full-time marijuana entrepreneurs.”

They received final approval to begin growing last month.

“We were excited to finally get our license in our hand,” Beverly said. “I cried. It was emotional to finally have that piece of paper.”

Beverly handles the business end. Steve handles the growing. Their friend Lisa is the only other employee.

“We’re organic farmers at home, so I love being around the plants, and it’s exciting,” Beverly said.

As medical marijuana cardholders themselves, they were able to transfer their personal plants along with ones acquired from other patients into the cultivation facility – which is allowed under Nevada law.

“From the mother plants, we’ll take a cutting,” Steve said.

All 1,100 plants they expect to grow will be cloned from approximately two dozen plants.

“They get collared and put into an aeroponic cloner,” Steve said. “We hope to harvest on a regular rotation of eight to fourteen pounds a week.”

That’s a small number. Some warehouses regularly harvest at least 20 to 30 times that amount from 40,000 plants or more.

The Wengers want to keep the operation and overhead small. They say they want the product they sell to local dispensaries to be high quality.

“Every process is done the way that I want it to be done. Every procedure is done the way Beverly and I have developed, and that’s important,” Steve said.

The Wengers say they took time to develop their business practices to follow state and county regulations. They didn’t want to try to push the envelope and run into delays.

As a result, they see their first harvest hitting dispensary shelves after four months of cultivation.

“We feel like it’s going to be a really good Christmas for us,” Beverly said. “We’re thinking the end of November, first of December, we’ll have our first products ready to go to market.”

Las Vegas Herbal Growers only uses organic pest control methods, meaning they won’t be affected by decisions made by the state on an evolving list of approved pesticides.

The Wengers say they hope that makes them a top choice as a supplier for dispensaries as more come online in the coming weeks and months.

Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Categories

Meta

Why Choose Us?

Local activist and cannabis advocate dedicated to the patients in the cannabis community by helping patients get their Nevada Medical Marijuana cards while being a source for cannabis education, events and activism.